File support



y 1963 H. SCHNELLE 3,098,488

FILE SUPPORT Filed March 31, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnvenlor: WM SCLMUQ WC- W;

July 23, 1963 H. SCHNELLE 3,098,488

FILE SUPPORT Filed March 51, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW2. yw k OW Jnven/or:

United States Patent Ofice 3,698,488 Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,483 111.11 SUKWORT Herbert Schnelie, Waldstrasse 12, Barmstedt, Holstein, Germany Filed Mar. 31, 1958, er. No. 725,273 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 27, 1957 (liaims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to a file support or supporting structure for hanging files such as letter files or the like, the files having a top edge member whereby they are suspended at opposite ends upon a pair of parallel operating rails provided at the top end of the supporting structure.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of my US. application Serial No. 645,555, filed March 12, 1957, now abandoned.

It is among the objects to provide a supporting structure which is of extremely simple as well as lightweight construction such as a wire construction, yet sturdy, and preferably made of a minimum number of simple preformed or bent wire components; in which the distance between the rails is adjustable in order that different widths of files may be accommodated; which is a collapsible construction having knock-down features whereby it may be easily assembled as well as disassembled for compact shipping or the like; and which includes a pair of guard rails associated with the operating rails for guarding the respective ends of the top edge member of the suspended files.

In view of these objects, the invention provides a wire construction which comprises a top wire frame providing a pair of operating wire rails, and a base wire frame connected to the top wire frame by upright wire members. Both frames may be of rectangular shape and each side of the base frame be connected to the corresponding side of the top Wire frame by a pair of upright wire members inclined with respect to one another. A pair of guard rails of wire are mounted atop the top wire frame in parallel spaced relationship to the respective operating rails. At least the top frame may be bipartite with each part thereof including a respective wire rail. Adjustable connections between the two portions are so arranged that the distance between the rails may be varied.

According to one feature, in the supporting structure each side of the base frame constitutes with two upright members a preformed U-shaped continuous wire. In this way the supporting structure is composed of two pairs of U-shaped wires, with the top wire frame fixed to the top ends of the upright portion of the U-shapes.

Other features lie in the provision of means for making the uprights disconnectable with respect to the top wire frame as well as with respect to the base wire frame in such a manner as to provide a collapsible or knock-down type of supporting structure.

Other features lie in the provision of simple and compact adjusting means for both the top wire frame and the base wire frame in order that the wire rails may be adjusted relative to each other together with their respective supporting structure.

Still other features lie in the provision of a guard wire frame which may detachably be mounted on the top wire frame.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the file support showing the arrangement of the U-shaped wire forms constituting a supporting structure for the wire rails;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged detailed view of the adjustable connections whereby the distance between the rails may be varied;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the top portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with a detachable guard wire frame added thereto;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating a detail of a modified guard frame construction;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating another modified guard frame construction;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating a further modified guard frame construction;

FIG. 7 is a somewhat enlarged detailed view of a modified form of one of the corner portions of the supporting structure of FIG. 1, illustrating the knocked-down features of the upright members; and

FIG. 8 is a further enlarged detailed view of the connec tions of the upright members shown in FIG. 7.

The wire structure for supporting files according to a preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 to comprise a rectangular base Wire frame 10 having longitudinal sides or base wires 11 and 12, and having transverse sides or base wires 13 and 14, the transverse side 13 being formed with a cranked or upwardly recessed portion 15 serving as a handle. In this embodiment the transverse base wires 13 and 14 have projecting ends 16 each of which carries a supporting roller 17, so that these transverse base wires thereby serve as axles for the rollers.

The wire structure further comprises a rectangular top wire frame 18 having longitudinal sides 19 and 20 corresponding to the longitudinal sides of the base frame, and having transverse sides 21 and 22 which correspond to the transverse sides of the base wire frame. According to the invention, each side of the base wire frame is connected to the top wire frame by means of a pair of upright supporting wire members originating at the respective corner portions of the base frame and arranged so as to be inclined to a horizontal plane. Consequently, the side 11 has a pair of inclined supporting members 28 and 3%, connecting it with the transverse front and rear wire means 21 and 22 of the top wire frame. Similarly, the opposite longitudinal side 12 correspondingly has a pair of inclined members 25' and 27, similarly disposed and connected to the transverse front and rear wire means 21 and 22. The transverse member 14 has inclined supporting members 24 and 26 connecting it with the underside of the longitudinal wire means 19 and 20 of the top wire frame, and the opposite transverse side 13 has inclined members 29 and 23 connecting it with the underside of the longitudinal 'wire means 19' and 20 of the top wire frame.

However, it will be noted that, according to a highly practical and advantageous feature, each side of the base wire frame constitutes with a pair of upright support wires a substantially U-shaped wire support, with the legs and the yoke of the U-shape located in a common plane. Thus a longitudinal support is formed by the side 11 together with the inclined upright support members 28 and 30, while the side 12 forms a longitudinal support with the upright support member 25 and 27. The transverse side 13 constitutes a transverse front support together with the upright support members 23 and 29, whereas the opposite side 14 constitutes a transverse rear support together with the inclined upright support members 24 and 26-. The transverse Wire supports are inclined at an angle A to a horizontal plane, and converge upwardly toward each other, whereas the longitudinal supports are inclined at an angle B to a horizontal plane and converge upwardly toward each other. It will further be seen that the U- shaped supports are connected to each other by welding 3 or the like at the four points P P P and R, where the wires 11, 12, 13, 14 cross.

The longitudinal sides 19 and 2d of the top wire frame serve as supporting wire rails for the suspension of the file units an example of which is shown in FIG. 1 designated by the numeral 31. Such a file has on top a file holder member the opposite ends of which are supported upon the respective wire rails 19' and 2t), forming projections 32 and 33 laterally outwardly of the rails. It is for the purpose of shielding these projections against possible interference with those of another adjacently located similar file support, that this invention provides a novel and highly practical arrangement of guard wires, preferably detachable, described below.

In order to accommodate files of various widths, the wire structure of the invention is constructed in such a way that the distance between the wire rails may be readily adjusted. To that end, both the top wire frame as well as the base wire frame are composed each of two U- shaped parts, each part including the respective longitudinal side of the frame. Each such part or half of the top Wire frame has a pair of transverse terminal portions 34, 35 and 36, 37 respectively. Adjacent terminal portions are connected with each other by means of adjustable connections which in the preferred form are tubular connector members 38 and 39 respectively in which the respective terminal portions of the wire frame may be telescopically adjusted. As appears more clearly from the detail FIG. 2, which shows a portion of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale, one terminal portion 34 of the wire has a swedged connection 40 with one end portion of the tubular connector 38, while the opposite portion 36 is telescopically adjustable in the opposite end of the tubular connector member 38. Similar adjustable connector members 41 and 42 are provided for similarly adjusting comparable portions of the base wire frame with respect to one another. The telescoping parts may be held in any suitable adjusted position with respect to each other either by friction or else by other suitable securing means.

Referring to FIG. 3, the novel construction and arrangement of the guard rails above referred to for shielding the projecting ends 32 and 33 of the top edge portion of the suspended files, may be in the form of a pair of guard rail means each individually and detachably mounted on the top wire frame of the supporting structure. However, in a preferred form herein illustrated the guard rails are part of a rectangular guard frame 43 which may be composed of two U-shaped wires 43a, 43b, each including a longitudinal guard wire 43' running parallel to the wire rails 19, 2t and a pair of transverse wire portions 43" which constitute together with a pair of tubular connecting members 44 and 45 the transverse sides of the guard wire frame. Each of these transverse wire portions 43" has provided on it a pair of resilient clips or clipping members 4 6 and 47 at one end, and a pair of such members 48 and 49 at the opposite end of the frame, whereby the guard frame 43 is detachably mounted upon the top wire frame of the supporting structure. Due to the connecting members 44, 45 this guard wire frame is adjustable in transverse direction to adjust the distance between its longitudinal sides in a manner similar to the adjustment of the top wire frame 18 and the base Wire frame The longitudinal guard wires are located above and outwards of rail wires 19, 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

In regard to the features of the supporting structure, which permit this structure to be collapsed as for compact packaging, reference is made to the embodiment in FIG. 7 showing, for example, the upright supporting wire members as comprising each an upper and a lower short terminal wire portion 56! and 51 respectively fixed or welded to the top wire frame and to the base wire frame respectively. A tubular body portion or long sleeve member 52 is fitted tightly over the respective terminal portions 50 and 51. FIG. 7 also shows an upright supporting member which comprises an upper terminal wire portion 34c secured to the top wire frame and a lower terminal wire portion 34a secured to the base wire frame, each of the terminal wire portions 34a, 340 being received in opposite ends of a tubular member 34b. The enlarged detail of FIG. 8 illustrates more clearly the manner in which a terminal portion 51 is held tightly although detachably in the respective open end of the tubular body 52 by engagement with a slender tapered seat 53. FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate modified guard constructions.

According to FIG. 4, a longitudinal guard wire 54 is connected to each longitudinal wire rail 55 of a top frame by a channel-shaped member 55 form-ed of sheet metal. According to FIG. 5, a longitudinal wire rail 57 of the top frame has a channel-shaped guard member 58 secured to wire rail 57 of the top frame. According to FIG. 6, a longitudinal wire rail 59 of the top frame has secured thereto a channel-shaped guard member 69 which may be of a plastic material of a suitable cross-sectional profile. The wire rails $5, 57 and 59 correspond to the longitudinal rail wires 19, 20 of the top frame described with reference to FIG. 1.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the file supporting wire structure, according to this invention, is of great simplicity and light in weight, and that in the form herein shown it may be produced from a minimum of simple U-shaped wire forms requiring a minimum number of connecting or welding points. The use of wires as structure elements in this file supporting structure further offers the opportunity of providing extremely simple tubular connectors in telescoping relationship with the ends of the wires, for the adjustment of the distance between the file supporting wire rails. Similarly, according to the in vention, simple tubular connectors may be employed in providing a supporting wire structure having the knockeddown features herein set forth. The upright supporting members may be in the form of simple wires or they may be of a composite nature, for example as shown, and the term upright supporting wire members is therefore herein to be understood to generically convey and cover such alternatives.

I claim:

1. A file support comprising a substantially rectangular horizontal top frame including a pair of lateral longitudinal rail wire means and a pair of transverse front and rear wire means; a file holder extending in transverse direction and having end portions supported on said rail wire means for movement in longitudinal direction of the same; only one pair of longitudinal supports, each longitudinal support comprising a horizontal longitudinal base wire means and a pair of upright support wire means extending upwardly from the front and rear ends of said longitudinal base wire means and being located in a common longitudinal plane with the same, said planes of said longitudinal supports converging upwardly toward each other, said upright wire support means at said front ends and at said rear ends having upper ends respectively secured to said transverse front and rear wire means of said top frame; only one pair of transverse supports which are, respectively, located in the front and rear, each transverse support comprising a horizontal transverse base wire means and a pair of upright support wire means extending upwardly from the ends of said transverse base wire means and being located in a common plane with the same, said planes of said transverse supports converging upwardly toward each other, the upper ends of the lastmentioned upright support wire means located on opposite sides of said transverse supports being secured to the undersides of the corresponding lateral longitudinal rail wire means of said top frame, said transverse base wire means passing through said longitudinal supports and being longer than the transverse spacing between said longitudinal base wire means and being secured to the same, said transverse base Wire means having end portions projecting outwardly from said longitudinal base wire means; and rollers turnably mounted on each outwardly projecting end portion of said transverse base wire means between each longitudinal support and an upright support wire means of the respective transverse support so that axial movement of said rollers is limited.

2. A file support comprising a substantially rectangular horizontal top frame including a pair of lateral longitudinal rail wire means, a pair of transverse front and rear wire means, and a pair of guard wire means detachab-ly supported on said transverse front and rear wire means, and having longitudinal guard wire portions extending parallel to said lateral longitudinal rail wire means and being, respectively, located laterally outwardly of the same; a file holder extending in transverse direction and having end portions supported on said rail wire means for movement in longitudinal direction of the same and being located inwardly of said guard wire portions; only one pair of longitudinal supports, each longitudinal support comprising a horizontal longitudinal base wire means and a pair of upright support wire means extending upwardly from the front and rear ends of said longitudinal base wire means and being located in a common longitudinal plane with the same, said planes of said longitudinal supports converging upwardly toward each other, said upright wire support means at said front ends and at said rear ends having upper ends respectively secured to said transverse front and rear wire means of said top frame; only one pair of transverse supports which are, respectively, located in the front and rear, each transverse support comprising a horizontal transverse base wire means and a pair of upright support wire means extending upwardly from the ends of said transverse base wire means and being located in a common plane with the same, said planes of said transverse supports converging upwardly toward each other, the upper ends of the last-mentioned upright support wire means located on opposite sides of said transverse supports being secured to the undersides of the corresponding later-a1 longitudinal rail wire means of said top frame, said transverse base wire means passing through said longitudinal supports and being longer than the transverse spacing between said longitudinal base wire means and being secured to the same, said transverse base wire means having end portions projecting outwardly from said longitudinal base wire means; and rollers turnably mounted on each outwardly projecting end portion of said transverse base wire means between each longitudinal support and upright support wire means of the respective transverse support so that axial movement of said rollers is limited.

3. A file support as set forth in claim 2 wherein said guard wire means are located above said rail wire means.

4. A file support comprising a substantially rectangular horizontal top frame including a pair of lateral longitudinal rail wire means and a pair of transverse front and rear wire means, each transverse wire means including a pair of transverse wire portions inwardly extending from the front and rear ends of said longitudinal rail wire means and a first connecting means displaceably connecting the inner ends of said transverse wire portions so that the transverse distance between said rail wire means can be adjusted; a file holder extending in transverse direction and having end portions supported on said rail wire means for movement in longitudinal direction of the same; only one pair of longitudinal supports, each longitudinal support comprising a horizontal longitudinal base wire means and a pair of upright support Wire means extending upwardly from the front and rear ends of said longitudinal base wire means and being located in a common longitudinal plane with the some, said planes of said longitudinal supports converging upwardly toward each other, said upright wire support means at said front ends and at said rear ends having upper ends respectively secured to said transverse front and rear wire means of said top frame; only one pair of transverse supports which are, respective- -ly, located in the front and rear, each transverse support comprising a horizontal transverse base wire means and a pair of upright support wire means extending upwardly from the ends of said transverse base wire means and being located in a common plane with the same, said planes of said transverse supports converging upwardly toward each other, the upper ends of the last-mentioned upright support wire means located on opposite sides of said transverse supports being secured to the undersides of the corresponding lateral longitudinal rail wire means of said top frame, each transverse base wire means including a pair of transverse outer base wire portions and a second connecting means displaceably connecting said outer base wire portions, said transverse base wire portions passing through said longitudinal supports and said transverse base wire means being longer than the transverse spacing between said longitudinal base wire means and being secured to the same, said transverse base wire portions having end portions projecting outwardly from said longitudinal base wire means; and rollers turnably mounted on each outwardly projecting end portion of said transverse base wire portions between each longitudinal support and an upright support wire means of the respective transverse support so that axial movement of said rollers is limited.

5. A file support as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said upright support wire means includes two end portions and a connecting member detachably connecting said last-mentioned end portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 936,736 Porter et a1 Oct. 12, 1909 1,259,005 Ethridge Mar. 12, 1918 1,421,515 McKnight July 4, 1922 1,553,565 Sprague Sept. 15, 1925 1,947,932 Fante Feb. 20, 1934 1,947,933 Fante Feb. 20, 1934 2,118,461 Dempsey May 24, 1938 2,554,232 Young May 22, 1951 2,585,428 Bitney Feb. 12, 1952 2,838,198 Vidal June 10, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 363,829 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1931 765,510 France Mar. 26, 1934 1,023,315 France Dec. 30, 1952 1,034,344 France Mar. 18, 1953 759,228 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1956 

1. A FILE SUPPORT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR HORIZONTAL TOP FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF LATERAL LONGITUDINAL RAIL WIRE MEANS AND A PAIR OF TRANSVERSE FRONT AND REAR WIRE MEANS; A FILE HOLDER EXTENDING IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION AND HAVING END PORTIONS SUPPORTED ON SAID RAIL WIRE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SAME; ONLY ONE PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL SUPPORTS, EACH LONGITUDINAL SUPPORT COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL LONGITUDINAL BASE WIRE MEANS AND A PAIR OF UPRIGHT SUPPORT WIRE MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL BASE WIRE MEANS AND BEING LOCATED IN A COMMON LONGITUDINAL PLANE WITH THE SAME, SAID PLANES OF SAID LONGITIDINAL SUPPORTS CONVERGING UPWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID UPRIGHT WIRE SUPPORT MEANS AT SAID FRONT ENDS AND AT SAID REAR ENDS HAVING UPPER ENDS RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO SAID TRANSVERSE FRONT AND REAR WIRE MEANS OF SAID TOP FRAME; ONLY ONE PAIR OF TRANSVERSE SUPPORTS WHICH ARE, RESPECTIVELY, LOCATED IN THE FRONT AND REAR, EACH TRANSVERSE SUPPORT COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE BASE WIRE MEANS AND A PAIR OF UPRIGHT SUPPORT WIRE MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE ENDS OF SAID TRANSVERSE BASE WIRE MEANS AND BEING LOCATED IN A COMMON PLANE WITH THE SAME, SAID PLANES OF SAID TRANSVERSE SUPPORTS COVERGING UPWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LASTMENTIONED UPRIGHT SUPPORT WIRE MEANS LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TRANSVERSE SUPPORTS BEING SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDES OF THE CORRESPONDING LATERAL LONGITUDINAL RAIL WIRE MEANS OF SAID TOP FRAME, SAID TRANSVERSE BASE WIRE MEANS PASSING THORUGH SAID LONGITUDINAL SUPPORTS AND BEING LONGER THAN THE TRANSVERSE SPACING BETWEEN SAID LONGITUDINAL BASE WIRE MEANS AND BEING SECURED TO THE SAME, SAID TRANSVERSE BASE WIRE MEANS HAVING END PORTIONS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID LONGITUDINALLY BASE WIRE MEANS; AND ROLLERS TURNABLY MOUNTED ON EACH OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END PORTION OF SAID TRANSVERSE BASE WIRE MEANS BETWEEN EACH LONGITIDUINAL SUPPORT AND AN UPRIGHT SUPPORT WIRE MEANS OF THE RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE SUPPORT SO THAT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ROLLERS IS LIMITED. 